Happier
by PlasmUser
Summary: What would you do for the one you love?


**Lately, I've been, I've been thinking**

**I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier**

Sitting up in bed, Dextorra casts a lingering glance at the man sleeping beside him. The much taller Irken was currently laying on his stomach, a pillow hugged against his own face. His too-long antennae were relaxed, the feathered appendages splayed almost too perfectly around the man's head. Red's ruby-colored robe was fanned out around him and his legs were tangled in the satin-like fabric.

Magenta orbs softened at the sight of his Tallest relaxed like this...it was one of the only times that he could see his lover like this-no signs of worry or stress...no signs of grief marring his features. Leaning down, the pilot presses a gentle kiss to his Tallest's forehead. Receiving a soft, sleepy grumble in response, Dextorra gently runs his hand over the top of Red's head. Grumbling once more, Red turns to peck his lips against Dextorra's before promptly shoving his face back into the pillow.

"I love you, my Tallest." Dextorra murmurs, knowing that this would be the last time he would be able to say this.

"...'m. Love you too." Red grumbles, and in record time, the Taller's snores fill the room once more.

**When the morning comes**

**When we see what we've become**

**In the cold light of day, we're a flame in the wind**

**Not the fire that we've begun**

**Every argument, every word we can't take back**

**'Cause with all that has happened**

**I think that we both know the way that this story ends**

Feeling his spooch tighten, Dextorra slowly slips out of bed, tenderly tucking the blanket back around his sleeping lover. Turning, the pilot quietly opened his wardrobe before hastily tugging his sleepwear off. Pausing, Dextorra's hand hovers over his own normal uniform. Clenching his fist, Dextorra grabbed his ceremonial robes, tugging them on over his head. Kneeling in a last-minute decision, the smaller man pulls his treasure box out from the bottom of the wardrobe. Rifling through the box, he easily finds and lifts the small, golden locket out of the stack of papers, hugging it tightly to his chest.

"Miyuki, give me your strength. Spork, grant me your courage." Dextorra whispers before clasping the locket around his neck.

**Then only for a minute**

**I want to change my mind**

**'Cause this just don't feel right to me**

**I wanna raise your spirits**

**I want to see you smile but**

**Know that means I'll have to leave**

Grabbing his personal reader from its dock on his table, the pilot exits his sleeping quarters and hastily makes his way to the boarding dock. Choosing a small Voot Cruiser, Dextorra climbs into the cockpit, typing in a few simple commands before syncing his Reader to the computer's mainframe. Firing up the Voot's engines, the Comms Officer opens up the hanger beside him flying out into the vast darkness of space, alarms blaring behind him.

**Know that means I'll have to leave**

**Lately, I've been, I've been thinking**

**I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier**

_Red could remember the first time he and Purple had seen Dextorra get angry enough to question is Tallests. The two Tallers had been goofing around the Hull of the Massive, their actions mostly revolving around making the lives of their pilots a little harder than they already were. Purple, in a stroke of his own so-called "genius", had decided that Dextorra was his next target. Floating lazily over to the Comms Officer's computer, he reached his arm out and knocked the cup of coffee that the pilot had prepared for himself off of its simply coaster and onto the keypad of the large computer._

_The smaller Irken had cursed loudly, rising to attempt to clean the mess before any excessive damage had been done. The Tallest at the time took a great deal of enjoyment out of finally managing to get under the overly-serious pilot's skin and continued to torment the smaller. As their laughter died down into soft and sporadic giggles, Red could easily recall Purple's antenna perking up fully when the two could finally hear what the pilot was muttering under his breath. _

"_Ten minutes." He growled softly. "That's all it'll take...ten minutes."_

_That was when Red started suspecting that maybe, just maybe, the Massive's chosen pilot was a Defective. _

_Later that day, Dextorra had apologized to his Tallests, offering them some snacks he had gotten from their last supply stop as a bribe to keep his job. The two had never intended to fire the pilot, but Purple accepted the offer easily, and the phrase eventually became a joke among the three of them. Red, however, never forgot just how serious the pilot had sounded that day. _

**When the evening falls**

**And I'm left there with my thoughts**

**And the image of you being with someone else**

**Well, it's eating me up inside**

**But we ran our course, we pretended we're okay**

**Now if we jump together, at least we can swim**

**Far away from the wreck we made**

Angrily tightening his robe, Red let out a low growl at the violet-clad Irken before him. It had taken him ages to track down the small Irken, and even longer to get her to the Hull of the ship for questioning. Having to bribe her with the rest of his stash of snacks in Dextorra's room had irritated him almost as much as having to shut the Massive's alarm system off.

"Explain." he barked, feathered antenna raising in warning to the smaller Irken.

Rat-the name of Purple's old informant and keeper of secrets on the Massive- was the most reliable when it came to secrets and information one wanted to know on the ship. The smaller Irken let out a bored grumble before picking at some of the dust and other unknown particles on her tunic, showing no signs of urgency at her Tallest's warning.

"Dextorra's been looking for something. Been real' hush-hush about it too. He hid his tracks and other informants before I could get a good look at anything. " Shrugging she scratches her fluffy neck. "But, according to my..sources, he found whatever it is that he's been looking for. Tracked it down, took off in a Voot. Left about two hours ago." stifling a yawn, the small woman sags her shoulders.

"Damn it Rat!" Surging forward, Red picks the Smaller up by the front of her tunic, snarling as he presses his face against hers. "What do I fucking pay you for? Where. The fuck. Did Dextorra go?"

Grunting, Rat grips Red's wrist, glaring back at her Tallest as she kicks her legs lightly in the air. "The fuck if I know! All I know is that he's been tracking the ship's old flight pattern and found something back near Planet Dreaster. The icy one."

Red's eyes widened as he drops the woman back onto the ground, images of Purple flashing in his mind. "No..no he couldn't. No.."

**Then only for a minute**

**I want to change my mind**

**'Cause this just don't feel right to me**

**I wanna raise your spirits**

**I want to see you smile but**

**Know that means I'll have to leave**

Spinning on his heels, the Taller slammed his hands onto Dextorra's computer, hailing the computer on the stolen Voot.

"Damn it Dextorra you better pick up…" Red quietly pleaded to the past Tallests that the other would be alright.

**Know that means I'll have to leave**

**Lately, I've been, I've been thinking**

**I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier**

Reaching his gloved hands out, Dextorra gently gripped the PAK unit, pulling it closer to his chest. Running his palm over the frost-covered surface, the pilot hugged the device against his torso before moving back to his Voot.

"Don't worry my Tallest. We're almost there," he whispered, voice thick with sorrow.

Upon taking his seat in the cockpit, Dextorra's nerves were tense with anticipation. Looking down at the PAK in his lap, he felt his throat tighten, anxiety gripping his spooch, making the organ twist nervously. He's sure that if he had eaten before the trip he would have lost his lunch by now. Blinking, Dextorra was surprised to feel his eyes sting with unshed tears. Leaning back in his seat, the pilot takes a soft breath, trying to calm his mind. He knew this was coming and had been planning this for months...tracking their previous flight path help a lot…

Wiping tears from his eyes, the pilot took another deep breath. Even with careful planning, he couldn't help but want to cry. He had never been this scared in his life. 'Red needs this' he sternly reminds himself. This...having Purple back… would help Red in more ways than Dextorra could ever hope to. Running his hand over the PAK once more, Dextorra sniffled from a mix of the cold and the tears welling in his eyes once more.

**So I'll go, I'll go**

**I will go, go, go**

**So I'll go, I'll go**

**I will go, go, go**

**Lately, I've been, I've been thinking**

**I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier**

**Even though I might not like this**

**I think that you'll be happier, I want you to be happier**

Yelping in surprise, Dextorra tensed as the cockpit surged with color and noise. Red was calling. Holding Purple's PAK close, the pilot typed in the command to switch the Voot to autopilot, setting their computer to return to the Massive. Taking a slow, shaky breath, he answered the call.

His spooch surged with a painful mix of joy and grief as he saw the disheveled face of his lover appear on the screen. Red appeared to be talking to something, sending them to the dock before he looked down, ruby eyes widening at Dextorra's appearance on the computer.

"My tallest…" Dextorra whispered.

**Then only for a minute (Only for a minute)**

**I want to change my mind**

**'Cause this just don't feel right to me (Right to me)**

**I wanna raise your spirits (Wanna raise your spirits)**

**I want to see you smile but**

**Know that means I'll have to leave**

"Dextorra! Oh, thank Irk you answered…" relief washed over Red's features before an angry scowl marred his face. "What in the actual fuck do you think you're doing?!" Red snapped, not waiting for an answer. "Leaving in the middle of the night. Stealing a Voot? All to go and look for-" The Tallest paused as he spotted the device in his lover's lap, and the ceremonial garb the pilot had dressed in. "Dextorra...what are you doing? Is that-?" Swallowing a lump in his throat, Dextorra leaned towards the screen, sniffling lightly.

Reaching back the pilot pressed the release on his own PAK, this time unable to stifle the whimper. The pain was instant, fear almost taking over his actions. Whimpering again, Dextorra pushed his PAK further from himself.

**Know that means I'll have to leave**

**Lately, I've been, I've been thinking**

**I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier**

"DEXTORRA! Stop it! This instant! Stop! Put your PAK back on! That's an order!" Red's voice was high with panic.

**So I'll go, I'll go**

"I'm...I'm sorry my Tallest. I didn't want..you to see this." sniffling, Dextorra's cheeks grew cold as tears ran down them. "But I was selfish...and so scared." voice hitching, Dextorra hugged Purple's PAK tighter as he opened the airlock, easily pushing is own PAK out into space before it could try to reconnect with him. "I just..I wanted to see you again, sir."

**I will **

"Dextorra, please! Others are one the way. Just stop. Please..For me Dextorra...please…" Red pleaded.

**go,**

Whimpering, Dextorra shifted once more, reaching back to attach Purple's PAK to the empty place on his back. Looking up at his Tallest, the smaller Irken gently places a hand on the screen, as if to caress Red's face.

**go,**

"I love you, Red. So don't worry...don't cry for me, sir. After all, it only takes ten minutes…"

**go**


End file.
